The Lightning Alchemist
by Create-tion
Summary: In a small town trapped between Military campaigns and the Ishvalan uprising there lives a few fed up alchemists who want freedom. Lena hates the fighting constantly erupting around her but her special talents make her a valuable commodity. When she becomes ill with an infection her friend calls on the aide of a certain Military brat. Lucky for her, Fullmetal brings Roy. Rating M
1. By Force

Lena stood at the edge of the cafeteria hall watching all the men grumble and argue with one another. It was a mess. Their whole town was a mess. As far as they knew, the military was coming and there wasn't anything but fighting back, that they could do. Lena wasn't amused. She felt her hands ball into fists at her sides as they continued to raise their voices. It wouldn't be their war if they started one. However, they couldn't afford to continue being pillaged by the military. They were already low on food reserves and had been cut off from Central's reinforcements. The Ishvalan uprising camps weren't far from their town and slowly they were encroaching inward toward them. Lena knew that they were now stuck between two hard stones. The Military would wipe them out or the Ishvalan's would destroy them.

"I say we take the Military down!" one man near the front shouted at the town speaker.

"We'll kill them!" another cheered in raising his fist. "They've done the same to us!"

"Will all of you SHUT UP!" Lena snapped from the back of the room finally losing her patience. Several men and women holding small children turned to face her. These people were her home but they were highly ignorant and selfish. She saw the dirt streaks on their faces from the mines. She saw the hunger in the children's' eye as they stopped running around the hall. They needed to be protected but that didn't mean looking for a fight.

"Do you have something to add Lena?" Elder, the old decrepit man, said from the front of the mess hall.

"If you all want a war with the Military then fine! But find someone else to protect you! _I_ don't want another war…_I _will not defend all of you!" she snapped tears forming at the corner of her eyes.

"You expect _US_ to protect you whenever you want but you forget that there won't be anyone to back _US _up!" she finished her chest heaving in angrily. A few stray dark locks spilled into her eyes as she swept her arm towards some of the few other alchemists in the room. They nodded in unison with her.

"Fight your own war." Her friend Daunte said hotly. "We don't want one. You can't rely on us to fight for you." He stood on his feet beside Lena. His dark skin was gleaming with sweat from the labor they'd worked in the mines to help get closer to production this afternoon. Lena was covered in coal dust as well.

"You won't protect us?"

"We can't fight on our own…" whispers of the townsfolk began to rise throughout the room. Lena felt a little satisfaction that they were scared but it was short lived. She took a small breath and felt a rupturing pain slither down her side. She fought the urge to double over clutching her side and ground her teeth against each other.

"Are you alright?" he asked concern in his voice. It was about the only thing she could manage to hold her breath long enough to concentrate on something other than the pain.

"Yeah…I need to step out." She whispered before disappearing quickly around the corner.

Lena doubled over taking in deep gulps of breath behind the building hidden by the shadows of the large metal roof. She wrapped an arm around her middle and under her other arm sighing. Sweat was forming on her brow. She felt like she could hurl but that wasn't really an option at the moment. She needed to get it together. She didn't have money for a doctor. She didn't have the time to leave the town to find a good enough one to handle her problem anyway.

"You don't look so hot." A voice said leaning back against the wall. Lena snapped upright her eyes wide. Edward watched as her shoulders tensed dangerously and her hands instantly were at her sides ready for a fight. Reluctantly Daunte came out from behind the boy standing in front of her.

"You helped the Military into the town?" she bit out harshly. He rubbed the back of his neck his chocolate eyes looked down in slight shame.

"I er…listen…Dr. Gren told me how sick you've been lately and that the infection was spreading." Ed watched the color slowly drain from the girl's face.

"I'm fine!" she snapped shaking her head. The pain was evident on her face.

"This guy, from the Military, his name is Edward Elric." He said quietly. "He has an arm like you Lena…he knows some people that can help clean out the tissue around the connection."

"No!" she nearly shouted taking a step back. "I don't have the money for that…I'm fine. There's no reas…"

"The infection can spread to your heart. Or worse, if it kills the tissue around you can't keep that arm. It will be so damaged that auto-mail can never be reattached." Ed spoke clearly now.

"Daunte this is stupid. I can clean it fine. I'm sorry he brought you here but there was no reason." She stood taller.

"Really? Raise your arm above your head." Hesitancy crossed Lena's face. Ed watched her almond shaped honey colored eyes waver. She couldn't do it and he knew it too. Her skin was pale and her hair was as dark as the coal mines she worked in. There was no mistaking the hair. The rumor about her…but they didn't know yet. It wasn't finalized. He sighed and tried to take a step closer. Lena breathed out before raising her arm defiantly over her head. Pain was etched into her face and for the first time Ed saw the glimpse of metal hidden behind her long sleeved tunic like shirt. Between the dark leather gloves she wore and the tunic sleeve there was rusted beaten metal showing at the wrist.

"It's hurting so much you could puke right? I've been there…well not from an infection but from a fight…" Ed reached out a hand.

"Get away from me!" Daunte grabbed Ed's arm pulling him back. Lena's eyes were wider now with fear and anger. That kind of mixture was petrifying.

"She isn't going to go…we need to move on to plan B." he sighed. Ed made a face before nodding to the direction behind Lena.

"Sorry to do this miss." A voice spoke from behind her. Lena moved to make a transmutation with her hands but something large and metal grabbed her from behind. She grunted and tried to kick backwards only for her foot to collide with metal. She squeezed her eyes shut growling under her breath struggling.

"Knock her out before she makes the joint worse!" Daunte said worriedly as Ed stood in front of her.

"Sorry but this is for your own health." Lena's vision went black after a hand reached up hitting her neck.

Edward stood across from Mustang and the boy named Daunte that had come to contact them only weeks prior to the recent event. Mustang looked highly annoyed but Ed knew that deep down it wasn't annoyance but pure concerned worry. He narrowed his eyes glaring at the boy before looking to the left through a window into a hospital like room Pinako had set up for the girl. Daunte was a long way from home and he looked exhausted. Dark circled lined the already dark skin of his eyes. Edward ran a hand through his bangs shoving them back behind his ears sighing.

"So Envy and Lust said she was Mustang's sister?" he clarified again.

"Yes. When they came through the town once…we weren't that old…and it was just after the Military had come through and destroyed more than half the place." Mustang flinched only briefly.

"This was when her arm was lost." He spoke sternly.

"Uhm…well that story is a lot…harder to talk about."

"Explain it then." Mustang ordered crossing his arms over his chest.

"Well it was after some of the war had torn through our region." The boy looked away over the hills flowing away from the house in the distance.

"See, as far as Lena and I both knew we were orphans." He shrugged looking back to the men. "So, when some buildings collapsed while we were out getting some food off people from the explosions and stuff we got trapped. No one noticed we were missing. No one cared. It was just chance that some nice guy found us and took us immediately to the hospital."

Mustang glanced back at the room where Lena laid in bed.

"I wasn't as bad off as she was. She'd laid under a giant slab of concrete on her arm and shoulder. The doctors were trying to save her arm. I just got knocked around and knocked out. So, I mean I was sitting up one night in the hospital when the sirens went off. That meant the Military was raiding the town or at least someone was attacking."

"I tried to get out of bed and go to Lena because I could hear everyone screaming and running out the halls to get patients to safety and lock down. When this Military officer came in I thought he was there to help. It wasn't until after he'd made it to her bed that I saw he was covered in blood." He looked down now his eyes brimming with tears.

"See, he was the one who'd attacked and was killing folks all through town and not just adults but kids too. He was crazy. He stood over Lena's bed laughing. I tried to punch him but he smacked me across the head and knocked me to the floor. He grabbed Lena's arm and twisted it yanking her off the bed and to the floor. She woke up screaming and tried to turn away from him but her arm was so infected and gross that she was in horrible pain. I can still remember how she sobbed. We were just kids…He…"

"He what?" Mustang said firmly.

"I'll never forget it. He put his foot on her chest and held her down and twisted her arm ripping it off." Daunte said in almost a hushed whisper.

Edward and Mustang stood in shocked silence.

"That's why she wouldn't tell anyone about her arm." Ed said taking a deep breath. "And why she wouldn't come to a Military hospital which would have had the resources to heal this infection." The boy nodded.

"I was afraid of what she'd think of me to do this too her but I couldn't let her die!" He said worried glancing up.

"They had to take the metal arm off. It was honestly a piece of shit and the skin was rotting around the connector unit." Ed sighed.

"Well, it was the only thing she could afford. She worked for years to save up the money to get that thing from this botched guy in the south side of town." he shook his head. "She kept saying she wasn't going to be useless."

"Well it was a bad operation. The nerves are pretty much shot. I can't see how she can even feel her fingers." He said pointedly.

"She can't. The guy worked with what was left…he damaged a lot of her shoulder when he ripped it like that."

"Did they really say she was _my_ sister?" he asked nervously.

"Yes. And honestly, she acts enough like you. She stands like you are now half the time." Mustang grunted in response to which Daunte smirked a little.

"She does that a lot too."


	2. Trust Me

Edward stiffened from where he sat outside hearing the chaos inside. It was actually a little closer to home than he wanted to admit. From deep within his chest he felt a tightening feeling. He shut his eyes leaning his head back into the grass where he had been laying before. Hearing Lena's voice inside was taking him back to the initial shock he'd gone through himself. His hand tugged lightly at the grass strands as the screaming continued.

"_WHERE THE HELL IS MY ARM!?"_ Lena screamed raggedly. Her chest heaved in and out unevenly as dulled pain thudded through her side and shoulder. They'd taken it. They'd taken her auto-mail! Lena felt panic seize her heart. The pain medication was making her slow and barely responsive. For a moment her vision was tunneled darkly and she saw that man standing over her with his hand clamped around her wrist.

"_WHERE IS IT!?" _she screamed again shifting her weight unevenly to swing herself off the bed. She stumbled and yanked an IV from her arm trying to get up. Pinako's eyes got wider watching the girl.

"You need to take it easy child. You're in no shape to be up and moving. It will take weeks to heal even the least infected area around that stump." Winry was trying to put an hand on Lena's good shoulder to guide her back to the bed.

"_Don't touch me._" Lena said in a cold dead tone of voice. Her eyes were blearily trained on the ground staring at her feet. Winry hesitated biting her lip unsure of what to do. Ed walked inside having been unable to listen to the screaming anymore. He knew what this felt like, at least he was pretty sure he did.

"We had to take the arm off to heal you." Winry said softly. "There was a lot of damaged skin around it too…you could have died."

"You will die if you don't lay back down and let the antibiotics into your system." Granny finished taking a tug off her pipe. Ed leaned against the doorframe watching.

Lena stood as best she could. He could tell by the set of her shoulders and the way her head hung down as she glared at the hardwood floor that her insides were churning. She was burning. She was angry, she was hurt, and she was burning to hurt something like she was now. He knew what it felt like to be helpless. He knew that she didn't want to be.

"She's right you know." He said gently from the doorway. He watched as she stiffened at the neck, a few strands of dark locks falling over her shoulder, before she glanced up at him. She didn't answer him but the swirling anger inside her eyes was more than enough to fill the empty air. He sighed rubbing the back of his neck watching as she shifted back gripping the table and tried to sit in the chair by the window closest to her. She was defiant, he'd give her that. There was a sameness to the way in which she'd stay firm that he recognized from the Colonel. Lena sat down in the chair letting go of a breath. Her back shuddered and she shut her eyes. She wanted to let herself cry. She hated this feeling. She couldn't cry in front of these people.

"You can either sulk or get over it." Roy said standing behind Ed. Ed made a face scrunching up his nose. The same conversation had almost taken place between the two of them when he was a child. Lena's head snapped up hearing the deeper voice.

It was almost like someone had flipped a switch. Her honey colored orbs grew slightly wider in shock and Lena leaned back against the wall breathing out. She just stared at him. This was too much. It couldn't be happening. She remembered the words the Lust had said to her years and years ago about this man. For a moment she narrowed her eyes at him before standing up shakily.

"Wha…"

"Daunte told us." Ed said simply. The glare turned to him.

"It wasn't for him to tell anyone." She said stubbornly.

"If you've known for all this time why didn't you come find me?" Roy asked raising an eyebrow crossing his arms back over his chest.

"You would have believed me?" she shot back slurring. She swayed groaning and sat back down rubbing her head from the medication.

"Take it easy. Boys, perhaps this conversation should take place another time." Pinako suggested.

"I would have at least heard you out." Mustang whispered watching the young girl.

"I had nothing to back me up. All I had was the word of the homunculi." Lena said shivering. There was a slight sweat breaking on her brow again. The fever from the infection was still raging inside her body.

"I am nothing if not a man of my word. I would have been there for you…" Ed watched indecision amongst other emotions play across the normally stoic man's face.

"You didn't need something else to worry about. There was enough going on in Central as far as I could tell…and besides…don't you want to be the President? How can you do that if you have some snot nosed brat to watch out for?" her voice was dry as she spoke.

"I already have two snot nosed brat's that I take care of." Roy laughed suddenly putting a hand on Ed's shoulder. Lena looked up hearing him laugh. Slowly, a smile crossed her lips warily as she saw Ed growl angrily under his breath glaring at the Colonel.

"I'm not a brat!" He snapped.

"Yes you are." He smirked and squeezed Ed's shoulder to signal him to shut up. He leveled Lena with a gentler stare. "How can we know you're my sister?" he asked. "What did they tell you?"

"Siblings of the opposite were born on the day the sky turned red. Father told us we could find you here. He said you'd be the fire man's sister. He said we could use you to open the gate but we'd need the other to get what we wanted inside." she said staring ahead past Roy's head. She would never forget what they said. She'd spoken Envy's words exactly.

"We weren't born the same day. You're younger." He stated bluntly.

"But I was born the day the sky turned red. There was an explosion from the war in the hills near the city where my mother lived." Roy blinked.

"Where your mother lived?" he asked.

"You're slow to keep up here Colonel." She heaved out shaking her head. Ed laughed which earned him a smack to the head. "We're technically half siblings. Different mothers. Same dad." She shrugged.

"That's why I wouldn't have known about you." He said realizing it.

"That's why I wouldn't have known about you." She nodded.

"Wait…if the homunculi said that _father_ wanted to use you two for the gates..." Ed piped up.

"I don't understand it. Ok? All I know is that they wanted to use us to get something from the gate. I don't know why us." Roy walked past Fullmetal and towards where Lena sat. She leaned further back in the chair at first looking away from him but then she finally looked up to where he stared down at her.

"Well…shit." He said rubbing his chin. "You're too pretty of a young lady to be my sister. I'm going to have to beat the living hell out of any boy who comes near you." He smirked putting a hand on her head. She blinked surprised as a creeping embarrassed blush dusted her cheeks.

"I…" he chuckled.

"No buts. AND No dating." Ed smiled watching the banter between the two. Maybe this was what Roy needed. Maybe this surprise would help him lighten up. Lena felt her shoulders shake a bit before she started laughing so hard she could barely breathe.

"I'm a grown woman. You can't tell me what I can and can't do!" she shook her head.

"Grown woman my ass." He said firmly. "You're my baby sister and it's going to stay that way."

It wasn't until later that evening after they'd all eaten that Ed slipped into Lena's room to check on her. Roy had helped her walk into the dining room earlier that night while keeping a hand around her side to steady her. Once some of the pain medication had worn off she'd gained a bit of color back to her cheeks. Ed had noted the subtle ways that she moved her hand while she spoke in much the similar fashion to how Roy spoke to Havoc. She'd explained to them a little bit about her childhood growing up with Daunte and about the orphanage. It also hadn't gone unnoticed to Ed the way her eyes would scrunch up when she laughed or the way she'd tilt her head to the side when she was listening to someone so that just this one piece of hair fell into her eyes. She'd subconsciously brush it back behind her ear just as quickly as it's moved. He stood close to her bed now sighing. Something was drawing him towards her and frankly it probably wasn't a good idea. He didn't know if it was the fact that he knew what it was like to lose a part of your body or that she just seemed so…so…kind. He stared down over her sleeping form, in one of Winry's old sets of pajamas, and he couldn't help himself. He reached down pulling the sheet she'd thrown off back up over her shoulder where her missing arm was. Her other hand was up by her face resting on the pillow as she breathed in and out lightly. Her hair was tangled and spread across the pillow and over her neck.

"You had _so_ better _n-o-t _ even think about it brother." Alphonse said standing in the doorframe. Ed stiffened glancing back at his brother red in the face.

"I didn't do _anything_ Al!" he snapped. "I don't know what you're talking about." And with that the brothers left the room arguing.


	3. GET OUT

Lena sat hesitantly still as Winry reached across her body to heave the metallic limb where it should be to check the alignment before they actually connected it. It had been nearly four months and Lena had all but shrugged off the hinges of her physical rehabilitation. Pinako dryly unamused at her refusal to continue with the process but Lena assured her she was fine. She'd endured many more injuries in her life and this surely wouldn't be her last. The skin was mostly healed and the ports were generally clean. She'd removed her shirt to make this entire process easier and so far Winry hadn't made any comments. Lena was glad for the girl having tight lips. She'd begged her not to say a word of the scarring marring her back and stomach to anyone. She didn't want her brother to know about the things she'd gone through as a child. She also didn't want many people to know where her transmutation circles were tattooed over her body. If the wrong person got that information she would be toast. Lena sort of enjoyed the name she'd earned as an alchemist, which so far thank heavens, Roy hadn't put two and two together yet or asked many questions. Daunte had kept his mouth shut about it so she was in the clear for now. Winry sat back and put the limb back on the bed smiling softly.

"I know that you said I can't tell anyone but I really just want to ask…" she murmered looking down at the tan bed sheets. "How? How did you get all of those scars Lena?" Winry's fingers had brushed over so many of them now that Lena felt a slight impulse to give her a little bit of the story.

"Well, see I didn't grow up in Tennen. I was brought there as a child when I met Daunte." Winry tilted her head.

"But he said you met in the orphanage…"

"We did." Lena nodded turning to position her body facing the young girl with blonde hair. "See, I don't necessarily hate the Military. I hate people who are made of evil…" she paused reaching up to rub her shoulder absentmindedly.

"I just thought it would be because of what that man did to your arm." Winry said plainly. Lena made a face sighing.

"Well that was far from pleasant but I don't trust many Military men because of what they did a long time before that." When Winry blinked surprised but speechless Lena continued.

"Just shortly after I was born I was taken from where my mother lived. She died giving birth so my father apparently took me. He couldn't' bring me home." She said flatly. "Because he had a wife…so he hid me. He gave me to some men from he knew from the military and said basically that he didn't care what happened to me as long as I was raised healthy and alive."

"That's horrible." Lena seemed to look past Winry now.

"I grew up those few years in a lab. I wasn't a kid but a test dummy. I don't want Mustang to know that ok?" she said with extreme clarity making Winry look at her. "I never want him to know any of this."

"I won't tell him." She whispered.

"The scars are from transmutations…from energy in my body being used to support chimera operations." She said bluntly. "For some of them they needed extra emphasis and they figured out that without killing the subject they could borrow energy, skin, muscles, organs…what have you from another being in small doses to support the chimera." Winry sucked in a breath.

"The scars are…are from where they took things from you?" she asked breathlessly. "But what about your stomach!?" she said alarmed. What would they have possibly used from that part of her body? The scars extended below her waist line and up to the center of her stomach above her navel. Lena stiffened momentarily.

"Uhm…well that…it was uhm…" she shut her eyes screwing up her nose taking a deep breath. "Yeah. It's where they took stuff." She said softly.

"I'm sorry…" Wirny rushed out quickly laying a gentle hand on Lena's arm.

"It's fine. It's the truth." She shrugged the girl off. "Please don't tell my brother." Winry nodded adamantly.

Ed sat down the hall in the living room reading a research journal of some alchemist he'd never met yawning. He glanced at Al who was reading as well before stretching his arms above his head. He yawned. It had been practically forever since Lena and Winry had gone into the back bedroom to fix her automail in. It normally didn't take Ed that long and he had both an arm and a leg to attach. He glanced at Al once more before getting to his feet cracking his neck.

"I'm going to go in and check on them Al." he said.

"Okay big brother." Al said continuing to read. Ed wondered if his younger brother had actually heard him but it didn't really matter because he was so absorbed in the book. He walked down the hall quietly trying to listen for some sort of sounds. He didn't hear anything and by the silence he felt like something was wrong. The door was shut tightly which should have gave him pause but Ed had always been a curious by nature creature. He raised his hand to knock just as a horrible strangled scream broke the silence. It was muffled by something and Ed's blood raced. He shoved the door open quickly stepping inside. Everything happened at once.

"GET OUT!" Winry snapped turning around trying to shield Lena's partially naked body. Ed's eyes went wide seeing Lena's face pushed deeply into a pillow buried from where she'd screamed. From the looks of it she'd screamed when Winry had connected the auto-mail since the newly metallic arm was attached. She gave a short shudder gripping the fabric in her hand before pulling it from her face shakily.

"I…I…I just wanted to make sure…" he stuttered.

"ED! GET OUT!" Winry threatened raising her wrench above her head. A dark blush crept up on his cheeks as he stared at the length of Lena's spine gently sloping down into her lower back. Then something struck him. All over her back there were splotches of marred darkened skin stretching around her ribs. He sucked in a sharp breath.

"What happened?" Winry got to her feet latching her hands onto Ed's shoulders trying to turn him around and shove him through the doorframe.

"JUST. GET. OUT!" She succeeded in him getting him to the door. Lena twisted around keeping the pillow in front of her body despite her taped up chest a look of indecision crossing her face.

"No. Wait." She whispered softly. Winry stopped shoving Ed and glanced back at her.

"But…"

"He'll tell Roy." She said sighing looking down. "You can't tell him. Please." Ed heard Lena's voice softly speak from across the room on the edge of the bed.

"I won't. But…what happened?" he asked gripping the frame with his metal hand trying to keep himself wedged inside the room.

"Just nasty men." She looked up meeting his eyes.

"Why do you dislike the military so much?" Ed asked suddenly. Lena looked away knowingly at the floor. He bristled stiffening his shoulders drawing tight.

"I just don't usually trust them." Was her only response.

"FULLMETAL!" Mustang yelled from the front of the house.

"Please?" Lena looked up at him again. Ed made a face before running a hand through his bangs agitated. He couldn't help but see the worry in her eyes. Why she didn't want Roy to know he wasn't going to ask but he couldn't find it within himself to make her feel worse.

"I won't tell him." He said gently back. He heard his name called again and he grumbled glaring back through the door. "I'M COMING!" He snapped back stomping through the hall. Winry looked at Lena raising an eyebrow.

"Are your joints feeling alright?" Winry asked not having had the chance.

"Yeah, I'm great. Thanks." Lena said putting the pillow down looking out the window. "I'm just glad I have an arm again."


	4. Gunshot

Roy stood at the edge of the train station platform watching as steam poured off the metallic cars. It was a cloudy day with a heavy promise of rain teetering off the horizon but that wasn't the problem. Roy had a bad feeling churning in his gut. His senses were tingling a fire and the hairs on the back of his neck were standing up. He tapped the edge of his shoe turning to face the direction Ed, Al, Daunte, and Lena were traveling. They were to depart at eight and leave Daunte to travel back to Tennen. They'd agreed that Lena would come to Central with them for a short period of time. Well, Roy had more or less done everything short of begging her to come with them. He couldn't imagine finding out he had a sibling only to leave her be after such a short time. He'd recently been splitting his time between work and Ed's home visiting Lena as she had her body repaired. Mustang tilted his head just so seeing Al drop back a step allowing Ed to walk almost in stride with his sister on her right. Daunte was hailing on her left his lips moving a thousand miles per minute as they discussed something Roy was almost sure he didn't care about. Slight agitation crept up his neck as he saw Ed laughing at Lena's words her smile bringing one to his face. He sighed roughly bringing a hand up to rub the tension in his neck closing his eyes. He was just tired and stressed out from work. He needed to take it easier on himself.

"You alright?" Lena asked Roy as they neared the train. She noticed as they'd made their way over that her brother seemed very agitated.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He assured her taking the edge of her elbow gently. "You're boarding with me just a car down from where Fullmetal and Al will be." She nodded but pulled her arm away in a rush turning to face Daunte.

"Ok, give me just a minute." She said smiling. Daunte smirked and grabbed her pulling her into a tight hug. Roy felt a small pang in his chest seeing her hug the young boy. It was like watching Ed and Al hug.

"Make sure you tell everyone I'll be back soon. Oh, and make sure that Elsy is alright! You have to tell her that I'll call as soon as I get a chance." She hugged him herder before letting go.

"I know. I know. Elsy will be fine. Hurry up or you'll miss your train." The dark skinned boy laughed rubbing her hair. She made a face swatting his hand away sticking her tongue out before turning back around to face the others. "Bye!" he called and she waved back to him.

As they boarded their train and took their seats Lena yawned leaning back on the red cushion. Her head laid against the wall and she looked out through the window. Roy had gotten a private car this time so that he'd have some more time to actually talk to his sister. The few times he'd gotten to speak with her over the last few months they'd both been exhausted or she had been in pain from the rehab.

"Who's Elsy?" he asked taking the seat across from her. Lena blinked before sitting up a little straighter and shifting in her seat to face Roy.

"A little girl from the orphanage. She's about six now but Daunte and I take her out every week and do stuff with her. She'll be so mad that I've been gone so long…and that I'm not coming back right away. Daunte told her I was originally." She bit her lip scrunching up her nose.

"That's sweet of you." He said nodding to her. "We'll make sure you get the chance to call when we arrive." She watched him for a long moment before taking a slow breath and letting it out.

"She's a sweet kid. She conned Daunte into getting her ice cream one day and we've just been around for her since. But neither one of us is in a place that we could take care of her perminantly…so…yeah…" Roy eyed her softly.

"Well you're just a kid too. I don't think a child needs to be raising a child." She rolled her eyes leveling him with a steady gaze. Roy wondered vaguely if this were the look he constantly gave his subordinates when he spoke to them. However, there was something there to those golden hazed eyes that gave him pause. There was a seriousness to her demeanor now.

"Listen, I'm not a child." She said shifting her eyes back out the window as the hills rolled past.

"Well you're certainly not an adult." He clarified raising an eyebrow.

"If this is going to turn into a parental ego trip, I don't need one. I've been fine on my own. You did fine. I did fine. Let's not screw this up by making it a father daughter thing ok?" she let her fingers drum against her knee. After some thought Roy decided she had a point. He nodded taking it into consideration.

"I suppose you're right. There's just a part of myself that wants to be more protective than I should at this point." Lena was about to reply when suddenly the train slammed to a halt. She was thrown forward hard barely catching herself before her face rammed into the metal beneath Roy's seat. He shifted stumbling to his feet a hand thrown out against the wall.

"The hell?" he snapped. By the time Lena was on her feet Roy had his gloves pulled on.

"Hey, don't…" she tried but he already had the door open.

"Stay here." He said shutting it behind himself. Lena made a face annoyed highly with him. She shoved the door open frustrated and stopped. Her face hit Roy's back and she took note that he was standing rigidly still.

"I thought I said to stay put." He snapped. The bite in his voice was low and stern. She couldn't see around him so she ducked under his elbow and her eyes widened.

A man wearing a tattered military uniform stood facing her brother. His hair was grungy and hung in strings around his shoulders the muddy brown color muddled with grease. She took note that the uniform wasn't issued anymore, from the stripes on the arm band, and that it had to be at least five years old. There were two men flanking him holding guns which were leveled at Roy. Lena narrowed her eyes turning back to steal a glance at the weather outside again to make sure, yes! It was a rainy day. These guys had picked the wrong time to attack a train with her on it. The man to the right shifted the gun and put it against Roy's chest.

"Ah, so good to see you again Mustang." The man in uniform grinned showing chipped gnarled teeth. "Now, get in your car and we'll have a chat shall we?" the gun was pressed harder against him until he had to take a step back. Lena had to pick. She would have to get these guys outside and off the train into the open atmosphere to stop them. As Roy took a step back trying to shield her inside the car she gunned it. Without giving him the chance to stop her she hit his arm causing it to slide up and he lost balance in the car door frame. From where he lost her balance Lena ran forward grabbing the barrel of the closest gun.

"LENA!" Roy shouted eyes wide with stricken fear. She twisted the gun sideways trying to wrench it free from the man. The ex-military colonel charged her and Roy froze as a shot went off…


	5. BONUS CHAPTER: Gorilla Warfare

_**So here's the deal, I've been super SUPER busy lately but I REALLY really tried with this chapter! I love this story and the direction it's headed and so far it looks like there have been some of you guys that have loved it too! I am really hoping to continue getting some reviews (EHEM COUGH COUGH) ….if it wouldn't be too much trouble….because I want to know what you guys think. So, that's where I'm going to leave it. Thank You for reading! Have a good evening! C*~**_

Roy stumbled back catching the doorframe as Lena rushed forward. He felt his entire body tense as a series of feelings berated him. He was not a man slow to action. Roy had always been quick to action on the battlefield except for rare situations. Many people would describe him as combustible when he took action. However, in this moment, watching Lena grab the barrel of the gun aimed at his chest…he felt panic, fear, among many other feelings that he hadn't had surface since the frontline of Ishval. It wasn't until the gunshot rang out that he snapped back to reality. Lena was frozen, eyes wide, gun barrel just short of being in her face. Her metal hand had gripped the pipe avoiding a sever burn but the wall behind her head was blown apart. Roy knew he screamed her name but she didn't react. An angry glare marred her eyes as she suddenly snapped the gun down slamming the butt of it up into the man's jaw who had just attempted firing to blow her head off. She shot a leg out swiping a foot from under him and jammed her body into his making sure to catch her elbow between his ribs to pin him there.

"Wrong person to try to kill asshole." She whispered in a deadly cold voice. It was devoid of feelings other than rage. Roy knew that kind of voice. It was the kind of voice he'd heard so many Ishvalan's use when the Military had come to kill their families and destroy their towns. It was the voice of someone who had witnessed and indeed been a lethal part of war; someone who had seen bloodshed and carnage and was used to it. They had accepted it.

Lena twisted the gun cracking it's wooden stock in half with her auto-mail and she rammed the wooden splintered butt into the man's shoulder. He screamed pinned to the wall of the car opposite them as she dug it in further. The man who'd originally attacked them, a man he knew as a missing believed to be dead colonel Hadridge, ran at Lena. He snarled between his grisly yellow teeth and reached an arm forward to attack her back.

"LENA GET D…." he started to scream his thumb and finger brushing just the edges against each other.

"BLOW OUT THE SIDE OF THE CAR!" She snapped glancing back behind herself to see the man rush her. She let him catch her around the middle shoving her hard back into the opposite cart door. She wheezed her face squinting up in pain as her head snapped back hitting the metallic frame. Roy didn't have time to question it. If she had a reason for doing this then he would trust her. Within seconds Roy had felt the pressures of the air, rearranged them, and snapped his fingers.

The entire side of the train car was blown apart and outwards, Roy braced himself shielding his face from the debris. He lost track momentarily of Lena but flinched as something was thrown past him. There was a brief grunt before he realized that the thudding form on the ground near the tracks was Colonel Hadridge. He turned facing Lena as she doubled over a moment sucking in a hard breath before coughing and standing up. She'd literally thrown the grown man off herself and kicked him off the side of the car by leveling her weight into his side and shoving him off with her shoulders. He made to grab her arm but she side stepped him and leapt off the side of the car stumbling into the gravel between the metal railroad tracks beneath.

"The other guy ran towards Ed and Al's car!" she snapped as Hadridge growled getting on booted foot up underneath of himself.

"I can't leave you here…" Mustang hurled back ready to snap his fingers for ignition again.

"It's _raining_ you idiot!" she hissed back. She was right. Roy glanced up at the sky noticing that within the last few minutes it had grown considerably darker with large rolling clouds huddling over there area. It had not been this clouded before he'd blown the car apart. There was also a light drizzle forming which in this situation would in fact impede his fire abilities. He made a face watching her square her shoulders off. She hunched pushing one foot behind herself before grabbing a pipe that had fallen to the ground off the train and she held it ready to swing as Hadridge came near them.

Roy realized with a dark creeping fear that he recognized the familiarly with which his sister was moving. He now put together where he'd seen the look in her eyes earlier and the sound of her voice. She was fighting like a civilian gorilla soldier. Every move she made was gorilla warfare tactics that he had seen trained Ishvalans use against the military. Roy felt something pull at his heart bringing a rush back of images again; a small child huddled in the corner of a dark house crying…

"_GO GET EDWARD AND ALPHONSE!" _Lena screamed suddenly. Roy snapped out of his memory to see his little sister wildly locked against the former colonel dodging as he tried to kick her side. He growled low in the back of his throat and turned on his heels running to get Ed. By the time he made it to the boys car Ed was already punching the living hell out of the other troop member on the ground straddling him. Al, in his hulking suit of armor, had another two men tied up in a corner of their train car. The blonde punched the man beneath him one more time before getting up eyeing the oversized meat head with disgust.

"He tried to shoot some of the other people on the train in the car behind us, some lady and her kids…I sorta lost control Colonel. Sorry." Ed sighed out looking at Roy.

"It's alright but let's get back up to the front. Al, can you keep them here?" Al nodded quickly standing in front of the secured men.

"Yes sir!"

"Where's Lena?" Ed asked narrowing his eyes.

"We need to get back to help her. She was handling the situati…." Something cracked across the sky booming with a thunderous might. Ed and Roy froze watching as lightning struck the cars up ahead. Roy's eyes got wide before he took off sprinting back towards where he'd left Lena. Clusters of lightning were exploding in thin streaks around the sky but as they neared another bright hot flash of light seemed to come down almost meeting the ground. That was when Ed saw it…

Lena was a blaze with fury, her hair wildly flying in tangles around her chin and shoulders. Ed watched her shove the sleeve of her jacket up on her skin covered arm to reveal a tattoo that he'd barely caught a glimpse of the other day. He hadn't paid much attention to it before but now it made more sense. Within the confines of her metallic arm was a brilliantly delicately etched transmutation circle that matched the equally bold one tattooed on her arm. They were transmutation circle for weather, specifically lightning. She slid the palms of her hands up over her forearms where the marks were and the air sizzled. With another defining eruption of cracking sound a streaking line of lightning shuddered down from the sky connecting to her auto-mail. From there she seemed able to control it…the light crackled and whipped around her arm as she threw it forward charging Hadridge. He wasn't much of a match. The lightning struck his body as she plied her hand punching him in the chest causing his body to convulse before dropping to the ground. His eyes rolled back and his breathing slowed but it didn't stop. Lena was winded wheezing where she stood the storm she'd drawn in still raging around them.

"You're the Lightning Alchemist?" Roy's voice broke the sudden calm. It rose in anger. "YOU'RE THE LIGHTNING ALCHEMIST OF THE SAND?" he ground out livid. There was nothing but anger and shock on his face. Lena didn't turn to face him. She'd worked so hard to keep this from Roy but now it was out. She knew what would come next and she knew it was only his job…

"Yes." She whispered her arms falling to her sides.

"You're under arrest for the destruction of a military encampment in Tennen two years ago." Ed's eyes grew wide as Roy walked forward with a dark intent. He looked down letting the shadows of the rain cloud his eyes as he took his sister's arms behind her back. She didn't resist.

"Do you have anything to say?" He asked through his teeth. She shook her head gently staring intently at the ground.

"No."


	6. Take, Take, Take: Extra-Long Chapter

Ed stood opposite from Roy in his office with fists balled at his sides. His hair had come loose from his braid as he'd screamed before slamming a fist on the elder's desk. Ed could not believe how incredibly annoying the colonel was being. How could he put his sister under arrest? How could he put his only sister, who he'd just met, in a cold dank cell. Ed was beyond livid. He was at a point where he saw white from the rage boiling inside his gut. He wanted to punch the senior officer, break his nose, and make him swallow the shards.

"How could you?" Ed steamed narrowing his eyes.

"You don't understand Fullmetal." Roy said in a rather authoritative voice. He crossed his arms over his chest glaring out the window his eyes sliding from Ed to the sunset.

"You're right. I don't understand how you could put your only sibling in jail!" he yelled slamming his fist down again. The jolt made two papers of Roy's paperwork float gently down to the floor.

"She could have killed seventy troops stationed near Tennen Ed." he looked back at the smaller blonde. "What would you have me do? She committed a crime and has to pay for it." He whispered. Ed saw the pain in his eyes. He heard the strain of the man's voice to keep it even. Ed relaxed just a fraction and shoved his hands into the pockets of his coat.

"Something isn't right. It stinks Roy. It doesn't make any sense." Ed lowered his voice.

"She won't talk to anyone. If she won't talk then it goes straight to trail. They've set a date for this Thursday." Ed bristled standing straighter.

"Roy that's in two days. They could execute her for treason." He rushed out taking a step closer.

"Then make her talk Fullmetal! She refuses to tell me why!" Roy finally lost it gripping the edge of his desk to stand until his fingers turned white.

"I will! I'll figure it out…" Roy looked down at the table fighting back the first few tears he'd felt in years brim at the edges of his eyes.

"We'll have to wiretap you kid. It has to be recorded or we can't use it in a court case. She needs an alibi and it can't be because you said so. Can you do that?" He looked up hesitantly and their eyes locked.

"I can. I can save her." Ed said firmly. "I will make her talk." Roy stood up running a hand through his hair refusing to make eye contact with the boy this time.

"I'm trusting you." He said softly. Ed turned on his heal to shut the door behind him a flick of his coat twisting behind him.

What Ed hadn't understood before he'd made his way to the Colonel's office was no longer obscured to him. Roy had explained to him why what Lena was accused of was such a serious manner. Ed used the word "accused" strongly because he didn't believe that Lena was capable of destroying an entire military encampment on a whim. They'd claimed that she'd snuck into the camp when the soldiers had just left and literally struck the entire place with so many bolts of lightning that it had caught fire and burned to the ground. Ed didn't buy it. The original files Roy gave Ed showed more evidence of incineration than actual lightning strikes. In fact, the whole case was based off of one soldier's sighting of a female he claimed to be an alchemist leaving the camp in a hurry. His description had fit Lena alright, but the fact that the ashes left behind would point more to Roy and his area of alchemy than Lena, Ed was not convinced.

He sighed taking a moment in the bathroom of the jail to properly brain his hair the way he normally did in the morning. They'd barely arrived before he'd cornered the Colonel in his office to argue out the events of the day. Immediately after fixing the train Roy had made Ed detain Lena in a back car. She'd stopped talking to anyone and had sat transfixed on the moving scenery outside. She'd looked faraway and unreachable. He knew that kind of look. She was guarding something, she was hiding it, and it would take an act or miracle to pry it from her. He looked up at his reflection in the mirror noticing the sweat beginning to shine on his brow. He was nervous. He'd have to go in there, get her to spill it, and record it all while Roy and Riza listened in. He was going to lie to her but it was for her own good. Riza had been right to tell Roy that if anyone could get something out of her it would be Fullmetal; she'd added it was because of how stubborn he was but he'd ignored that. Besides, they only had two days to get this out of her. Two days until she'd be on trial for the destruction of a government camp and the punishment wouldn't be light. He sucked in a breath and filled the sink to splash his face with some cold water before standing back up. It was now or never…

When Ed was escorted down the hallway towards the cell they were holding Lena in, he fidgeted shifting his weight from one foot to the other. Jean stalked beside him raising an eyebrow watching the boy. He noticed a faint blush dusting the boy's cheeks as he was deep in thought. He took another long drag of his cigarette hanging between his lips and let the smoke billow behind him as he trialed along. Ed grunted running a hand along the back of his neck.

"You need to calm down or she will know something's up chief." Ed shot him one of the most annoyed looks he'd ever seen.

"Shut up will you? I'm already nervous enough…" the boy shot back.

"She's in cell five boys." The cell tenant nodded to the end of the hall as they took a right. "Not much of a talker this one. Scared a bunch of the men this morning by threatening to sear their eyes shut with lightning if they didn't leave her alone. We had to give her a private cell." He chuckled shrugging.

"Thanks sir." Havoc told the man as he left them alone in the cement tomb. He glanced at Ed one last time and the boy nodded to him. As they drew near the cell Ed could barely make out the faint sound of breathing. He came across the barred cell door to see Lena sitting, curled up holding her knees, back against the wall behind her on the cot. She was staring up at the ceiling as if trying to count the number of cracks there were. He didn't like the look of her wearing the rags of a prisoner, the gossamer fabric hung to loose on her body. Her black locks stood stark from the old cloth as it spilled about her shoulders. Thin light from a barred window to the outside slatted over her face making her skin seem even more pale than Ed remembered.

"Thought I'd come by to see how you were?" Ed said facing the locked barred door. Lena stiffened and glanced in his direction before turning away from them to face the second wall away from the door.

"You can't just sit there silently. Come on." He said trying to coax her. "Explain to me what's going on…I don't believe that you'd do what they're saying." He put his hands around the bars holding them.

"It's not your business." She said gently. Havoc made a disappointed face leaning back against the wall giving them space concentrating on his smoke.

"You should make it my business Lena. You're trial is set for Thursday. That's two days from now. Do you understand that?" he snapped.

"Just go. I'll be fine. I can defend myself in court." She said stubbornly.

"The hell you can." He retorted smacking the bars making her suddenly sit straighter. "They can execute you without offering you the chance to defend yourself." He snapped. "You have to talk!"

"You want to talk!" She whirled around in a sudden movement eyeing him with fire burning in those honey eyes. "You can't handle what I have to say! You can't handle the reason I went there!" she shouted shaking. Ed blinked in surprise having never seen a woman get this scary in such a short amount of time but he knew it was also fear. She was scared.

"Then help me handle it. You have to tell me." He said putting more effort into saying it with a softer tone of voice.

"I can't…" she said angrily staring at the floor. "You don't understand." Havoc crunched the end of his butt chewing on it. He didn't know how Ed planned to get her to talk.

"It's got something to do with those scars, doesn't it?" Ed said suddenly. "You said you hated mean men. I'm guessing mean men meant Military men."

"I…" she started to deny it but he kept talking.

"You went there for a reason didn't you?" he watched as Lena flexed her hands over the edge of the cots before glancing up at him.

"Four of the six men who held me captive when I was a child were there." She whispered running a hand over her knee nervously.

"You wanted revenge?" he prompted. Ed cringed knowing Roy was listening in at a remote location. He'd promised he wouldn't tell her brother but he'd had too. If it meant saving her, then he had too.

"I did." She finally said after a long heavy moment. "I wanted to see them hurt the way they'd hurt me and so many others Ed." her voice shook.

"So were you trying to kill them?" he asked worried.

"I didn't want to kill them. No…I just…I just wanted them to know what it felt like." The overwhelming sadness in her eyes made Ed's chest tighten. "What they did was worse than any of the scars I have Ed."

"What did they do?" he wondered before he could really stop the question. "What is worse than the scars?" which in his opinion were already bad enough.

"They took something from me that I can never have back. They took a piece of me that…they took away the one thing that as an alchemist I can't come close to conceiving." He saw a single tear slide down her cheek. She held back the shivering in her back.

"What?" Havoc asked unable to stay out of it.

"Oh no…not that." Ed whispered suddenly understanding. He knew that the one thing an alchemist couldn't make was a human life. Her eyes met his.

"Yeah, Ed. They took my womb." She bit out fiercely.

Riza's grip tightened on Roy's shoulder as the words sunk in over the radio wire they'd tapped to Ed. She watched as his fist tightened so hard around the recorder he held that she had to reach down gently prying it from his hand before it broke. The anger that flashed so darkly in his eyes burned greater than he'd ever seen. He shook with anger and fought back the urge to lash out at anything near him. How dare someone hurt his sister? How dare they take something from her that was irreplaceable…someone was going to die. Someone would burn. He would find retribution for her or hell would freeze over.

**Hey! Hope this is a good follow up chapter! I'm still really excited to hear from all of you reading this story! Let me know what you think! Please give me some reviews! I'm really trying to get this story up and off the ground! It might be a little while before my next post since school is kicking my butt. Sorry! Thanks! BYE! **

**C*~**


	7. Early Memories-WARNING MATURE CONTENT

Ed stood still for a long moment before taking a slow breath. He found himself not able to really process quickly anymore as his heart fell into the pit of his stomach. He was not a female but he did understand that having a missing part of your body was a great disadvantage. He couldn't imagine what it would be like to have a unique part of your body taken away that would define your unified right as a female; to have the right to be a mother taken away. He watched as Lena shifted pulling her legs away from her body letting the bottoms of her bare feet brush the cold cement floor. She supported the weight of her torso with stiff arms at her side leaning forward over her knees staring at the ground. Strands of her hair shielded her face creating a barrier between the two of them. When she spoke again her voice was small but controlled.

"I didn't destroy that camp." His ears barely perceived her. Havoc spoke up leaning off the wall behind him. He dropped the cigarette to the ground snubbing it out with his foot before speaking.

"I've seen the files kid. Sorry to say, but they have your face matched with a sighting at the scene." Lena made a scoffing sound as if she were annoyed and raked a hand through her bangs shoving them back.

"I was there but I lost the nerve. If I would have attacked…my alchemy wasn't refined at that point. I wasn't skilled enough to just attack those specific men. I would have destroyed the entire camp…I couldn't hurt all the men stationed there that hadn't done anything yet." Ed noted that her hands were slightly shaking.

"What do you mean yet?" he asked.

"I mean that they were given orders to attack and annihilate Tennen. They were supposed to take us out if we refused the taxes and trade embargos the President was handing over to us. But the soldiers didn't feel comfortable so they stationed outside of the town for a few weeks trying to make communications with us instead of just attacking." She explained glancing in their direction.

"But then if you didn't do it…who the hell did?" Havoc sighed out scratching at the back of his head.

"I don't know but my guess would be those asshole Humonculi. I didn't run into any soldiers when I left…I made sure to avoid the basic outlying perimeter they'd set up. So, my point is, that if my face was seen; it wasn't mine."

"They set you up." She nodded.

"And lightning leads to fire when it strikes flammable materials such as wood and fabric. The tents and stations were all built with basics. How would you prove whether it were flame or lighting?" she said annoyed.

"Why didn't you figh…" Jean started before Ed interrupted him.

"She couldn't. An investigation wouldn't be possible if it were the homunculi who were behind it. They'd side against her and make her guilty." Lena nodded.

"I'm already going to be found guilty. I knew this was coming. They want me out of the way." She shrugged. "Remember when I said they wanted us to open the gates? What better way to get Roy by using me?"

"That's the real reason why you never made contact with him isn't it?" Ed asked. "Not because you couldn't prove it. You didn't want him in danger."

"And look at where we are?" Lena said sarcastically.

"What exactly are you talking about by the men that did stuff to you?" Havoc asked suddenly. "I don't understand." Both Ed and Lena looked at him before looking at one another. Lena's eyes were hesitant.

"I…don't think that she really wants to talk about it." Lena interjected Ed.

"I can explain a little bit…besides I didn't really explain it to you either Ed. Just don't…uhm…don't go telling this all to Roy please. He'd…I don't think he'd react well." She whispered.

"I can't honestly promise that." Jean said crossing his arms over his chest. She leveled him with a tense stare before heaving another sigh.

"Fine. I respect that. I'll still explain." She leaned back against the wall again before beginning.

"My earliest memory is of sitting in a crate. I was really little so it's even a bit hazy…"

*** (flashback) ***

_ Lena sniffled pulling her arms closer to her ribs as the cold draft of the room chilled her tiny body. She could feel the sticky liquid dripping from her nose but she had nothing other than her arm to wipe it on. That only succeeded in smearing it and creating a crusted feeling against her upper lip. The room was enclosed in darkness where they'd left her today. After having been awoken to three of the military men she'd grown up with, being dragged into another lab room, and thrown up on a table screaming…she was exhausted. Today had been bad. They'd brought out this long metallic thing and used it's pointy edge to take off parts of skin from her leg. She could still feel her thighs shaking as she curled left her legs laying out in front of her in the small crate because she was unable to curl them under herself. There were shoddy bandages tied over the places where they'd taken the skin off. The chunks were the size of her head roughly and the skin around it was throbbing. Lena reached forward trying to brush the edges of her fingers over the hem of the material covering the injuries but the immediate pain was far too great. _

_ She let out a soft whimper squeezing her eyes shut. At least she thought they closed, she couldn't be sure because the darkness gave lack to her understanding of what her body was able to do. Lena remembered the bright lights hovering over her from the lab rooms she was so used to waking up in anymore. But the lights…the lights made her remember the things she saw in the rooms with her. There were always bright red stains smeared over the tables and the walls. Usually the large blotches were darker that covered various places on the floors. She didn't understand why they painted the rooms like that but she knew the paint leaked from those things they brought into the rooms. Just the other day they had brought in this thing with four furry legs and a scaly tail but it had a large smashed in looking face. It had looked like someone had hit it's head with something hard. She had been surprised when it talked. She hadn't been around many animals other than the dogs they used to eat the stuff laying around the lab floors…the piles of mush that were covered in paint…but the dogs had never talked. _

"_That…kid…a kid…" it had said before raising it's voice into a snarl like growl and shrieked the same few words over and over again. It had charged one of the officers who'd raised his gun at it blowing a bullet through it's head. Lena didn't like when they brought the things into the lab rooms because it normally meant they'd do something to her too. They'd take her skin, or stick her with those long sharp metal things that took away paint from her body too…Lena heard footsteps approaching the door that kept her in the dark. Light leaked from a crack beneath it and she pressed her back against the bars of the small dog crate that she knew as her bed. _

*** (end flashback) ***

Ed sat horrified. There weren't words to describe how hollow he felt as Lena finished the recount of her earliest memory.

"So yeah, I guess if that makes any more sense of some of the stuff that happened…" her voice trailed off lightly. Havoc's jaw dropped and had been open for a few minutes as Lena had spoken.

"I'm sorry." Ed whispered back. He slowly reached his hand through the bars realizing how scared she probably was sitting inside another cage, albeit larger.

"It's not anyone's fault. That's why I don't want Roy to know. He'll blame himself." She replied gently letting her hand fall against his palm. Ed wrapped his fingers of his flesh hand around her metallic fingers.

"We're going to find a way to get you out of here." He assured her. "I won't let you be kept locked up like this. You're not alone." Lena didn't have a way to respond to Ed's words because no one had ever said them to her except Daunte.

Riza knew there was no way she could pull Roy from the pit that he'd fallen into as they'd listened in to his sister speaking over the recording. She could have never guessed that things would come to this or that they would have been so horrible. Roy wouldn't let this settle…he'd want blood…he'd want names…and she'd be right beside him.

**Well, that's about it folks! I wanted to make a quick note here that during the flashback Lena kept referring to "paint". The "paint" was a representative word that a child who'd never been in an outside world would probably use to describe blood. I wanted to make it more realistic to the age for the description of the early memory. Tell me what you think. Thanks for reading! Please review! I'M BEGGING YOU!**

**C*~**


	8. Vanishing Act Part: 1

Ed had a hard time leaving Lena that night. Havoc had only pulled him away from the jail cell when the old man had come to retrieve them. After the story she'd told them about being in those basements and lab rooms, Ed could only imagine what Lena's psyche was doing to itself right now. He felt a strange uneasiness in his stomach as they left the jail. He realized that he'd have to meet with Mustang at his place before he could go home and to Alphonse. He took a slow breath letting it puff out into the cold night air to rise above his head. The starry sky was shivering overhead with glimpses of twinkling balls of dust blinking down at him. Havoc put a hand on his shoulder gently taking a tug from a new cigarette.

"We'll get this taken care of. Don't worry too much kid." He glanced up at the older male trying to decide how much he really wanted to just let go of this.

"I don't know. Something stinks really bad about all of this Jean. I've got a bad feeling." He whispered before looking up at the silent moon for answers.

"We'll handle it." Was Havoc's only reply.

Roy stood at his desk in a back room of his home glaring. He had files spread out around him and a few on the floor. He'd been staring at them for weeks now but he just couldn't find what he wanted. Since he'd met Lena, he'd had Fallman and Breda searching and scrounging for any piece of information about her life at all. The files laying scattered around him were the pieces they'd been able to pull together. To his right, his thumb brushed back over the document as he read; Lena's physical trail didn't start until she had turned six years old. That was the very first time she existed. It was the first medical evaluation, the first doctor's visit, the first birth record, the first anything they could find of her. The only information prior to her paper trail beginning from that specific age was a lone case file that had come from a military testing facility for chemical makeup and compound works to aide during the war. From what Fallman had confirmed it was really a testing facility for what they believed now to have been chimera work. It would match Lena's story.

The file itself was detailed in descriptions about chemical compound works with different materials trying to put together certain key elements with alchemy. It was basically a philosophers stone research lab hidden with fancy detail words. Roy felt his anger rising as his eyes read back over the lines that had briefly caught his attention before but he hadn't thought anything of it until tonight when he'd heard Lena's voice over the recording.

_Subject 46:_

_Monday_

_ Subject is without restraint inside the testing room this morning. 46 was brought willingly into the testing room and laid upon the table. 46 asked questions today. It asked if we could leave the lights on in the retaining room after we left. It also asked what they would do today. 46 did become tense and attempted to lash out at the man to it's right when they began the testing. Took blood samples today…46 was unresponsive for thirty seven minutes after blood samples were taken. Did not pass out; simply stopped speaking or crying. _

_Note: 46 has lost hair due to malnutrition. Scientists have agreed to add food with more nutrients to the diet as I instructed. Raw meats with additive vegetables. Samples from crate were taken of hair._

_Description: black, long strands, matching in thickness to father's samples which have since deteriorated after testing completion at lab base 5._

_Upon seeing noted reflections above, I believe that 46 will be a viable tissue sample to continue supporting chimera construction. Skin samples have proved stable. Chimera 78 had not rejected the skin transplant from 46 as of yet. _

Roy felt his hand begin to grasp around the paper. He knew what he was really reading now. He was reading the thoughts of the men who had literally tortured his younger sister. He could say this with confidence now only on the basis that Fallman had recovered all of the paperwork trailing Lena's story. The majority of it matched only until the medical records. Some of Lena's records had been blacked out as if erased straight down the page, mainly when there seemed to be extreme physical malformations, which Roy wasn't sure what all that entailed. He could understand why she might have also lied about some of the medical history now. There were at least two reports confirming the treatment of infected scarring tissue on her torso and thigh. What he wanted to better understand was how exactly she'd gotten out of the lab without being killed. It was obvious they knew she was his sibling, so why not clean the slate and destroy the evidence?

"Sir, you're going to ruin the only evidence you have from the lab." Riza said wrapping her hands gently over his still gloved ones. She brushed her fingers softly against his hand sliding the document out of his and setting it back on the table.

"Do you realize what this page says?" he asked her staring down at the desk as if lost in thought still. Riza sighed nodding and wound her fingers through his.

"Yes sir. I know what this file in particular said. I remember…but this is not going to help you focus…rereading information you already know…" there was a rapping of three distinctive knocks on the door. Roy glanced up still gripping Riza's hand in his.

"Fullmetal." Was his only response before she felt his hand gone and he'd left the room.

Ed sat across the kitchen table uncomfortably watching as Riza pushed a steaming cup across the table at him. It was a warm cup of tea that she'd told him would help calm both his and Roy's nerves since she'd made some for him as well. When she finally sat clutching her own mug Ed took the moment to speak up.

"We can't just wait around. There has to be something we can do." Roy leveled the boy with a heavy stare.

"I'm not sure where to start. The biggest problem will be that she does not go by her actual name. The name she's filed under since her appearance at the orphanage was Hayes, Lena. I can't claim responsibility for her without being able to prove our relation."

"And the only proof you have is speculative from the lab dictations." Riza said looking down into her cup.

"Look, I don't care how we manage this, but we can't leave her there. You heard what she said Roy…" Ed stressed gripping the handle of his cup.

"I know Ed. I know…"the elder said with a hard sigh his shoulders set tense. They would need to develop a plan and they only had two days to institute it.

Ed had gotten permission from Roy to visit Lena later that morning after they'd completed some much needed paperwork for the office. He'd asked that Jean accompany him again because it seemed to give him the center of strength he needed even if he wasn't sure that's what it was. They neared the jail's small reception counter and Ed was prepared to pull out his watch for admission but the man behind the window stood up. He looked confused at first before moving to come out the door to the left hand side to speak with them. Havoc opened the door for him as he started to come out.

"I'm sorry boys. I hate to be the one to tell you this, but your friend was moved late last night." He stroked a finger through his bristly white beard.

"What do you mean moved?" Ed stiffened raising an eyebrow.

"Some men form the military, a colonel and two other men, came to take her. They had all the paperwork filed with signatures from the President. She was to be moved immediately saying that she was a threat and needed to be placed in a higher retention facility with constant watch."

"Damnit." Havoc snapped reaching for a copy of the files the man was handing them.

"Where too?" Ed asked. "Where was she taken too?"

"It looks like she was escorted to a high level facility under direct control of the President himself." Ed gripped his hands into fists at his sides…their two days had just turned into hours.

**Haha! What did you think? Please review! I want to know! Lena's in some serious trouble and she needs someone to save her…or will she? I can't wait to hear what you guys think! **

**Thanks! C*~**


	9. Got A Cigarette?

Lena sat in the farthest corner of the room angling herself towards the door so that she was facing it. She had learned at a young age not to leave your back to the door; you always wanted to see who was coming through it. After three men had come early that morning in the dead of darkness to take her away, she'd known everything was going to hit the fan. The only trump card she had was to comply. If she obeyed, if she didn't resist, they would leave Roy out of this. She hoped with everything inside her being that they could open the gates only using her to get what they wanted. Maybe she could draw a deal to bargain for his safety…but what did she have to offer? The best she could do was to offer herself as a literal transmutation for experimentation like she was before. Lena felt a shiver run down her spine as she brought her legs up closer to her chest wrapping her arms around them tightly. There was a draft to the cellar room they were hiding her in. She was prisoner here. Only this time it wasn't because they didn't know who she was. The President knew very well who she was. He'd be coming soon. That's what they'd told her; he had business with her that was impending that it be addressed. They'd built a story around her disappearance to look like she had been a disturbance to the jail they'd had her in previously. At least they'd left the lights on, Lena thought to herself. She had always been petrified of the dark and they hadn't encased her in that when they'd left. Footsteps sounded down the hall coming from the left where they'd originally entered the corridor after coming down the stairs. Lena was also very good at memorizing layouts. As the footsteps grew nearer she got to her feet refusing to look weak in the eyes of anyone who imprisoned her. Not ever again. She'd never lose her dignity; obey orders sure, but she wouldn't keep her head down while she did them. The door started to open, a creaking noise spilling across the expanse of empty room.

"Well, what have we here?" The President chuckled swinging the door open behind him as he walked in. He had removed his jacket and was only clad in a white shirt with his swords strapped to his back visible to everyone.

"Sir." She whispered gritting her teeth. As much as she hated to do it, she saluted the man as was expected.

"I hear you've been causing a bit of a problem for me lately Miss Hayes." He said as he put his arms behind his back walking closer. She stood stiffly and let her arm come down to her side keeping eye contact with him as he did.

"It was unintentional." She said in a soft voice as the man walked around her in a semi-circle.

"I've learned a good deal about you in the last few weeks. I've learned that you come from a small village which is currently under intensive military intrusion. I've learned that not only is your last name not Hayes, but that your older brother is one of my best soldiers. And finally, I've learned that you survived a research lab. Do you understand what that makes you?" he asked drawing to a stop directly in front of her. His face was inches from hers as he finished the last sentence.

"I would have no idea what that makes me." She replied refusing to back off. The elder man grinned and pulled a sword from his back. Before Lena could react the edge of the silver metal was pressed against her throat making breathing a difficult task.

"It makes you mine. Everything about you gives me direct control over you. See, we need you." He smirked haring the blade closer drawing a thin line of blood. "Do you understand?" She could neither nod or respond.

"We need you alive for now. You've survived successful chimera operations. That will benefit us greatly in our advancement for the military. I'm going to make you an offer since you seem like a reasonable young lady. I have taken notice that until now you've not tried to contact your brother not have you told anyone all the things that have happened to you." How wrong he was, but Lena kept quiet. If he knew that Ed and Jean knew…he'd kill them. He continued taking the blade a small fraction from her neck.

"So, I'll offer you a reprieve for now. However, you'll do what I say." The President said in a smug tone a wide smirk starting on his face.

"And what would that be?" she replied narrowing her eyes.

"You've just signed yourself on as a state alchemist Lena Hayes. You'll reside here in Central where I can keep my eye on you and when the time comes, we will come to collect you. If you refuse to go we will kill Mustang." Lena's heart crumpled in on itself but she nodded deftly.

"You won't touch him. If you do, the deal is off." He chuckled sheathing his sword behind his back.

"I didn't really think you were in any position to make requests but sure. I can make that a deal." She eyed him cautiously as he took a step back.

"Roy won't like me being made into a state alchemist. How do I explain that?" she asked.

"Oh, he'll understand. It's perfectly clear. I am the one that makes orders." And with that he made to move towards the door.

"If you hurt him I'll kill you." Lena said mustering up the coldest voice she could find within herself. He stopped and did not turn back to face her.

"Excuse me?"

"If you hurt my brother, I will hunt every homunculus down and I will rip the stones out of you bodies to leave you a pile of rotting matter on the floor."

"You don't want to make a threat to me little girl. You're officially working for me." He tossed a shining silver disc through the air towards her head. She caught it letting the chain rap against her arm turning it over to look at the state alchemist insignia.

"It isn't a threat. It's part of our deal." She whispered back glancing up at the door with wide worried eyes suddenly as he reached it. She was petrified he would leave her and lock her there again. He watched her eyes grow fearful.

"You can't leave this home until I clear your alibi and make you a part of the military by midday tomorrow. You may however, walk into the rest of the house." He clarified opening the door wider to let her walk past him.

"Yeah kid." Envy quipped leaning against the doorframe coming into view. Lena resisted the urge to glare at the other creature staring her down with a lopsided grin. "Long time no see."

"I could have gone longer." She replied smartly.

Jean stood at the Central Command Building awaiting Lena's release. Roy had been caught with leftover paperwork that he'd been charged to finish so he wasn't allowed, under Riza's orders, to come get her. Besides, as far as they'd been informed, she'd be visiting with them enough over the next few months. They had received a letter from the President's office informing them that Lena had been cleared of all charges and that the majority of matters had been left to paperwork and a misunderstanding. Jean took a breath puffing off his cigarette holding it away from his lips to stare up at the sky. He'd officially been waiting almost half an hour for Lena to come out those doors and frankly it was driving him insane. He kept running the image of her sitting with her knees pulled up to her chin explaining to Ed what had been taken from her. He remembered the slight way that her hair had shielded her face from both of them while she spoke. He remembered the way she'd let her feet skim the floor as her shoulders had relaxed after she'd explained her story; the way the weight had literally fallen off her shoulders. Out of the corner of his eyes Jean caught a glimpse of something exit the building as the doors moved. He looked up and felt his eyes widen. Lena was dressed head to toe in military blues. She had her hair pulled up and back away from her face in a ponytail that fell over her shoulder and from the corner edge hem of her pocket he caught a glimpse of a silver chain. Her gloved hands fidgeted as she came down the stairs to meet him.

She wouldn't look up at him to start. She first made a point to look past him as she spoke and she tried her hardest to look not as stiff in her uniform as she felt. Jean raised his eyebrows looking her over to his best ability while still being a gentleman. She didn't look like Roy. Sure, there were similarities, but for some reason, the uniform didn't bode well on her. For Roy the uniform spoke volumes. It was his identity. For Lena…it just made her look forced and trapped. She sighed gently blowing a few stray bangs from her face and glanced up at him finally.

"Got an extra cigarette?" she asked to his surprise. Jean laughed handing her one leaning in to light it for her.

"I didn't know you smoked." He commented.

"I don't but right now seemed like a good time to start…know any good bars?"

Jean shook his head rubbing the back of his neck.

_**So, please PLEASE PLEASSSSEEE I beg you for comments and reviews! I really put some thinking into this chapter and I'm starting to set up the plot line. Trust me it's not over. You'll never guess the things I have up my sleeve about to happen! I hope that you liked it guys! **_

_**C*~**_


	10. Put the Glass Down!

Havoc had never intentionally set out to ruin a woman. He'd always been very big on being a gentlemen and treating them to a good night. As he watched Lena sit at a bar stool running a nervous hand through her dark locks, he wondered what the hell had happened. First she'd asked for a cigarette and then a drink and he being the man he was, had agreed. The look on her pale face had been one of pure exhaustion; pure fear. He knew from being in the military so long now that there were some things only alcohol could chase away. There were nightmares that you couldn't be unseen. She reached forward and brushed her finger along the water pooling at the bottom of her glass stein before glancing at him raising an eyebrow. The transient light filtered over her honey colored eyes as she quickly looked away. Strands of black hair shaded the angle of her jaw and neck slipping off her shoulder as she fingered the lapel of her jacket straightening it.

"What was that look for?" he asked gently. Smoke ebbed around him hazily from a man down the bar.

"Nothing." She replied staring deeply back at her nearly drained draft.

"It's getting late. We ought to head back to the Colonel's and explain some of this too him. Actually," he laughed nervously rubbing the back of his neck, "He's been waiting for us for about two hours."

"I don't want to see him right now." She whispered closing her eyes. Before he could react she put her forehead against the bar top. He sighed unsure of what he should do. Hesitantly, Jean put a palm against her back midway up and spread his fingers out there reassuringly.

"You're going to have too."

"Not tonight. Not after all of this. I can't right now…" she whispered without picking her head up. "I can't…it's too dangerous."

"Well you're stationed with us." He reminded her. "Come on, let's get you up…" Jean moved to assist her in getting up when he heard a small tired sigh escape her lips. He couldn't help but feel his chest tighten at her small frame in the military jacket as her chest breathed in and out. She was already asleep. He should have known. There was no way she could have ever drank this much before and the combination of nicotine, stress, and alcohol had probably been tearing down her energy since the first beer.

"Well, I guess I have to carry you then…" he reached around her middle sliding an arm under her ribs and turned her on her back to carry her out. He supposed taking her to Roy's drunk and passed out was a horrible idea not only for her, but for him in letting her be like this. He'd let this happen to her. Roy would ignite his ass on the spot. The only other viable option was to take her back to the small apartment flat that he and Breda shared. Hopefully his roommate wasn't there tonight and he wouldn't have to explain any of this; at least not until tomorrow morning.

Lena woke up to sunlight streaming across her face in bright vivid rays. She cringed groaning and rolled over shielding her eyes by throwing her arm over face. Her fingers brushed something warm and soft. For a moment, Lena slid back down into the covers allowing the fluffy pillow to envelope her sleep infested mind. Then something like realization hit her. Her fingers had brushed something warm and soft. Lena froze and her eyes snapped open. Instinct kicked in as she bolted upright in the bed and shoved herself away from whatever was warm beside her. She gasped her arm flailing behind her for something, anything, that she could use as a weapon.

"Hey! HEY!" Jean shouted putting his hands up sleepily trying to process the situation. He shifted his body back from Lena trying to give her space as she gripped the glass on the dressor and raised it in the air about to hurl it at him.

"What the _HELL_ is going on?" she snapped gripping the cold glass in her hand tighter until her fingers turned white.

"Can we put the glass down first please?" he said urgently. Lena realizing that she was still leveling the glass as if about to throw it through his head bit her lip nodding. She slowly put it down. She stole a glance in Havoc's direction again taking in the way he looked. He was disheveled with rumpled hair slightly hanging against his forehead and in his eyes. Lena did have trouble getting past the fact that it appeared he was only wearing pants, his legs under the covers, she had a decent view of his bare chest which faced her.

"My head is killing me." She squeezed her eyes shut sinking her face into her hands taking a deep breath.

"Well, you were very drunk last night. You fell asleep at the bar." He told her as his shoulders relaxed.

"I don't want to know that." She replied. "Why am I at your place?" she peaked up at him between her fingers. A faintly dark blush spread over Jean's face.

"N-not for the reasons you think." He hastily told her working to untangle himself from the covers to get up. "See, it was too late to take you like that to Roy…he uhm…he would have…" he raked a hand through his unruly hair.

"He would have burnt you alive. I get it." She smirked a little taking her hands from her face. He saw her bit her lip chewing on it a moment as she looked down at the sheets.

"We didn't…." she trailed off leaving it as a question for him to answer.

"NO!" he nearly shouted tripping on the sheet. He hit the floor groaning. His face popped back up over the side of the bed bright red.

"Ok good." Lena felt the nervous feeling in her stomach unwind.

"I w-wouldn't take advantage of a l-lady!" he pointed a finger at her. Lena snorted before bursting out into laughter. It started as a chuckle but she couldn't help the wave of hilariousness that ensued at Havoc's face. She wrapped her arms around her stomach laughing so hard before being able to finally stop and draw in enough breath to speak.

"I'm not a lady." She chuckled wiping at her eyes as Jean sat back on the edge of the bed. "and second, it was a little suspicious. I was sleeping in a bed beside you…and I didn't remember how I got here." He sighed out understanding where she would think that.

"No. It's just that I don't have another bed and Breda broke the couch last week so there really wasn't any other pla…" she smiled softly and shook her head.

"It's ok. I get it. Thanks for helping me out." Lena told him. She took note that she was still fully clothed which helped his story.

"Not a problem. But you know you're going to have to report in for duty with the Colonel today." He eyed her lightly.

"Yeah, not looking forward to it. He's going to blow a gasket. All the file said was that I'd been inducted. It didn't tell him I was made into a state alchemist." She looked up at the ceiling.

"It won't be all that bad." Jean told her.

Looking back to a few hours previously, sitting on Havoc's bed getting over her hangover, Lena had wished the morning could have lasted longer. Currently, Roy stood fuming in the doorway of his office. Moments after she'd walked in, he'd caught sight of her in the military uniform and about burnt the entire office. Riza had a hand on his chest speaking in a low voice to him. Havoc stood just to Lena's side unmoving as fire flashed in Roy's eyes. Suddenly, the watch in her pocket felt like it weighed a thousand pounds. The guilt of all of them being trapped under the President's thumb settled on her shoulder.

"It's not that bad." She told her brother. "At least I can spend some more time around you now."

_**SO, so, sooooo tell me what you think! Lena's not very good at holding her alcohol and she certainly did end up in a precarious position, no? Did Jean get himself in over his head by trying to help her out? Will Roy burn him to a pile of ashes when he finds out what happened the night before? Tune in next chapter for some real fan hitting action! Hint: Lena might just fall a little harder for a soldier trying to protect her. Protect her from what you ask? Oh, you'll see what the homunculus have in store for her next time: Vanishing Act Part 2! **_

_**REVIEWS PLEASE! I BEG YOU!**_

_**C*~**_


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